Maniature panama canal.



L. E. MYERS.

MINIATURE PANAMA CANAL.

AEPLIGATION FILED PBBJQ, 1913.

1,096, 1 1 9, Patented May 12,1914.

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- APPLICATION IILED FEBJQ, 1913.

Patented May 1.2, 1914.

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LOUIS E. MYERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOTHE ANGLO-CALIFORNIA TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, OF SAN FRANCISCOpCALLFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

MINIATURE PANAMA CANAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914;.

To (Mlle/ 1cm it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS E. Mrnns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in a Miniature Panama Canal, anddeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertainsto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a simple and novelarrangement for conveying people past or around something ofconsiderable size which is to be exhibited to them and simultaneouslyand automatically, by means of a phonograph, deliver a lectureconcerning the thing exhibited.

Specifically considered, my invention has for its object to produce asimple and novel arrangement for carrying large numbers of people pastand around a reproduction of the Panama Canal, its terminals and theadjacent territory, built on a considerable scale; and at the same time,by means of automatic phonograph devices, deliver lectures describingand explaining the various points of interest or matters of history, insuch a way that all of the persons who are being carried will be able tohear the lectures distinctly.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized.will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but,for a full understanding of my invention and of its object andadvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 isa plan view of an apparatus arranged in accordance with my invention inproper relation to a reproduction of the Panama Canal to exhibit thelatter fully; Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the cars or carriages ofwhich the conveying apparatus is made; and Fig. 3 is a view lookingtoward the right from the left hand end of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, 1 represents a chain of cars orcarriages, preferably a continuous chain running over a track formed inan endless loop which surrounds a reproduction on a fairly large scaleof the Panama Canal, 2, and its terminals, 3 and 4,

and incloses any desired amount of territory lying on each side ofthechannel of the canal.

The cars or carriages may take any suitable form, being preferablymounted on wheels, 5, which run along ordinary railway rails, 6. Thecars or carriages may be coupled together and move in any suitablemanner. In order to give the cars or carriages a large seating capacity,I prefer to provide each with a series of seats, chairs or benches, asindicated at 7, 8 and 9, these extending lengthwise of the car so thatpersons seated therein face in the direction at right angles to thetrack. I furthermore prefer to arrange the seats at differentelevations, those on the side which are to be on the inside of the loopbeing the lowest and those on the outside the highest, so that each rowof persons in the car will have a full view of the exhibit over theheads of those in front of them. In all of the cars or carriages, or atshort intervals throughout the train are placed phonographs, 10; therebeing in the arrangement shown one of these phonographic devices onevery third car in the train. Extending along the track, preferablybetween and parallel with the rails is a stationary rack bar, 11. Fromeach of the phonographs extends a vertical shaft, 12, having on itslower end a gear wheel or pinion, 13, meshing with the rack bar. Thevertical shafts may either be propelling shafts for the phonographs,that is the means for driving the records, or they may be controllingdevices which govern the rate at which the records are actuated bysuitable spring motors or other motors. In either case, the records ofthe phonograph will be actuated in definite relation to the movement ofthe cars on which they are carried. Consequently if one of thephonographic devices is initially adjusted so that a record can be madethereby and the car on which it is mounted is made to travel around theloop while av lecturer is talking into the device, delivering the partof the lecture pertinent to each point of interest as that point isreached, a record will be produced which will thereafter repeat whateverthe lecturer has said at the very point where he said it.

By providing each of the phonographic devices with a record made in themanner described and arranging for the shifting veyer movable along thecanal, a phone graph carried. by the conveyer and adapted to deliver alecture on the Panama Canal, and means for governing the operation ofthe phonograph so as to svncln'onize the locture with the passing viewas seen from a point on the conveyer near the phonograph.

In an apparatus of the character described, a miniature Panama Canal, aconveyer movabl along the canal, a phonograph carried by the conveyerand adapted to de-' liver alccture on the Panama Canal, and means forgoverning the operation of the phonograph with reference to its positionrelative to the canal.

In an apparatus of the cha 'acter described, a n'iiniature Panama Canal,a movable endless conveyer surrouinling the canal, a phonograph carriedby the conveyer and adapted to deliver a lecture on the Panama Canal,and means for governing the operation of the phonograph so as tosynchronize the lecture with the passing view as seen from a point onthe conveyer in the vicinity of the phonograph.

I. In an apparatus of the character described, a miniature Panama Canal,a car movable on tracks running adjacent to the canal, a phonographcarried by the car and adapted to deliver a lecture on the Panama Canal,a rack bar extending in the direction of and in the vicinity of saidtracks, and a governor for said phonograph geared to said rack bar.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a miniature Panama Canal,a car running 011 a track surrounding the canal and its terminals, aphonograph carried by the car and adapted to deliver a lecture on thePanama Canal, and means for governing the operation of the phonograph soas to synchronize the lecture with the passing view as seen from themoving car.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a spectacle to beexhibited, a conveycr movable along the same, a phonograph :arried bythe conveyer and adapted to deliver a lecture on said spectacle, andmeans for governing the operation of the phonograph so as to synchronizethe lecture with the passing view as seen from a point on the conveyernear the phonograpl'i.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable conveyer, apl'ionograph carried by the conveyer and adapted to deliver a lecture onthe passing view, and means for governing the operation of thephonograph so as to synchronize the lecture with the view as seen from apoint on the conveyor near the phonograph.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS E. MYERS.

Vitnesses:

M. B. SNrrLorr, PIARRY K. GERWIG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. G."

